Mail-bag



Patenten Feb. 7, |899.

G. R. HowAnD.

M AIL BYA G Application filed Sept. 15, 1898,

(N Model.)

1m: Nonms crans co., vnowmo.. wAsHlNuToN. n cA UNITED f STATES PATENTOFFICE.

GEORGE RILEY HOWARD, OF NEOLA, IOWA.

MAIL-BAG.

SPECIFICATION formingpart o f Letters Patent No. 619,022, dated February'7, 1899. Application filed September l5, 1898. Serial No. 690,996. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE RILEY How- ARD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Neola, in the county of Pottawattamie and State ofIowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in .Mail-Bags, of whichthe following is a speciiication.

My object is to facilitate the opening an closing of a mail-bag and toproduce a simpler, stronger, more efficient, and durable means ofsecurely closing and lockingit as required for protecting and carryingInail-matter.

My invention consists in the form of the top of the bag and thearrangement and combination therewith 'of mechanism for closing andlocking the top and means for detaching marked directions relative towhere it is to go. Fig. 3 is a sectional View on the line of Fig. 2,showing the relative positions of the overlying parts when the bag isclosed and locked and marked with a label. Fig. 4 is a perspective ofthe label-holdin g device connected with the pivoted outside bar of thelocking mechanism.

The letter A designates a bag, preferably made of leather, that may varyin size, as desired. v

B is an extension of the bag at one side of its top portion (preferablyintegral) and adapted to serve as a flap tobe doubled down ovei` the topportion of the other and lower side, as shown in Fig. 2.

c and c are mating straight metal bars riveted to the opposite sides ofthe top edge of the flap B to bind and stiften the top edge and toproduce a joint at the center of the flap that will allow it to bendoutward, as shown.

d and d' are straight metal bars riveted to the outside of that portionof the top of the bag that is designed to be covered by the iiap B whenthe bag is closed and to extend parallel with the bars c and c' on theedge of the iiap, as shown in Fig. 2. They are hinged together at theirinner ends, and the bar d terminates in an eye f, adapted for attachinga padlock thereto. The end of the bar d has a shortportion g of ajointed flat bar H pivoted thereto in such a manner that the bar willhang down at the side of the bag when open and, as shown in Fig. l, beout of the way while placing mail-matter in the bag. lt is also adaptedto be extended acrossthe ap B and in parallel position with the fixedbars o and c' and d andd, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, to securely fastenthe iiap B as required to close the bag. g

The free end of the bar H'terminates in an eye f', adapted to overlieand coincide with the eye f on the end of the bar d as required tosecurely connect the bars by passing the hook or shackle of a padlockthrough the coinciding eyes and then fastening it in the lock in themanner padlocks are operated.

A label-holder is combined with the bar H,

and consists of a metal plate c, riveted at its end portions to theoutside flat face of the bar H and provided with an elongated open spacebetween its fixed end portions.

m is a dat plate pivotally secured to one end of the plate 7o and to thebar H by means of one of the rivets, so itWill have a hinged connectionwith the bar H and adapted for doubling a flexible label around it, asshown in Figs. 3 and 4, and securely holding the label in place, asshown in Fig. 2, so the 'directions or address on the label will bevisible through the open space in the fixed plate la.

n is an integral finger-hold and clasp on the free end of the hingedlabel-holder m, adapted to overlie the top edge of the bar'H and to aidin retaining it in Vparallel position with the bar, as required to keepthe label securely fastened.

It is obvious a label can be readily removed by drawing the hinged plateoutward, so a new label may be put in the place of the one removed. Itis also obvious that by doubling a exible label around the hinged platem it is thereby readily and securely placed in proper position relativeto the iixed plate fm, having an elongated slot, through which the IOOdirections on the label will be visible, by simply pressing the plate minto its normal and parallel position with the bar H and plate K.

I am aware that label-holders have been detachably connected withmail-bags; but my manner of utilizing a locking-bar that is permanentlyconnected with a mail-bag as an essential portion of a label-holder isnew and greatly advantageous in the art to which my invention pertains.

Having thus described the construction and function of each operativepart, the practical operation and utility of my invention will bereadily understood, and what I claim, and desire to secure by LettersPatent therefor, isv l. In a mail-bag a label-holderconsisting of ametal locking-bar permanently connected with the bag, a metal platehaving an elongated opening in its central portion and its endportionsfixed to the outside face of said bar, and a iiat metal platehinged at one of its ends between the locking-bar and the said metalplate fixed to the bar, to operate in the manner set forth.

2. In a mail-bag, an extension or flap at the top, metal bars fixed tothe top edge of the fiap on its outside to extend to the center of theflap, metal bars fixed to the inside of the Hap and the metal bars onthe outside, a jointed metal bar fixed to the outside of the bag nearits top edge and provided with an eye at one end and a jointed barpivotally connected With the other end of said fixed bar and providedwith an eye at its free end to operate in the manner set forth for thepurposes stated.

3. A mail pouch or bag comprising an opentopped bag having a flapextending upward at one side and adapted to be doubled down to overliethe top portion of the other side of the bag, metal bars fixed to theoutside and inside of the top edge of the flap in overlying positions toextend from the corners of the iiap to its center, a jointed metal barhaving an eye at one end fixed to the outside of the top portion of thebag, a straight bar having a joint near one end pivoted to the end ofthe said jointed fixed bar and provided with an eye at its other end anda label-holding device fixed to the said jointed and pivoted bar, and aUnited States mail-lock adapted to be connected with the eyes of thefixed jointed bar and the pivoted bar having a joint near its pivotedend, all arranged and combined to operate in the manner set forth forthe purposes stated.

4. The mail-bag lock-bar I-I permanently connected with a mail-bag, theplate 7c having an elongated opening and the plate m having an integralprojection n arranged and combined as shown and described for thepurposes stated.

GEORGE RILEY HOWARD.

Witnesses:

H. MENDEL, W. I-I. KILLPARK.

